1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to vehicle simulators. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to selectively rewarding the user of the simulator.
2. Description of the Related Technology
What is needed is a way to selectively reward users of a simulator or game, such as a vehicle simulator, according to a target reward level established by an owner or operator of the simulator. The target level would vary according to the ability of the users and would be adjusted dynamically.
In one aspect of the invention, there is a method of simulated vehicle competition, comprising storing a plurality of parameters indicative of past routes and a past route, providing a threshold route parameter, navigating a simulated vehicle over a current route, displaying the current route of the simulated vehicle, and modifying the threshold route parameter according to a function of the plurality of stored parameters and of a predetermined constant.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a method of playing a simulated vehicle racing system, the method comprising a) storing vehicle race parameters of past players on a particular track in a memory, b) storing a target vehicle path, c) selecting one of the stored vehicle race parameters as a target race parameter, d) playing the stored target vehicle path as a function of the target race parameter and a new vehicle path by a player vehicle of a present player, e) recording spatial data of the player vehicle on the particular track in a buffer as the new vehicle path of the present player, f) storing a vehicle race parameter of the present player in the memory, g) selecting the recorded new vehicle path as a new target vehicle path if the stored vehicle race parameter of the present player is an improvement over the target race parameter, h) adjusting the stored vehicle race parameter associated with the new target vehicle path based on the target race parameter, thereby generating a new target race parameter, and i) repeating d)-h) at least one time.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a simulated vehicle racing method, comprising retrieving a vehicle path corresponding to a stored route of one of a plurality of previous players on a simulated course, retrieving a plurality of vehicle race times, each race time corresponding to a race time of a previous player, selecting one of the plurality of vehicle race times as a free game time, and adjusting the playback of the retrieved vehicle path as a function of the free game time.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a simulated vehicle system, comprising a simulated vehicle configured to traverse a simulated course, a data structure holding a plurality of course finish times, a present course buffer configured to store a present course path of the simulated vehicle and a course finish time of the simulated vehicle as it traverses the simulated course, a recorded course storage configured to store a recorded course path, and a playback adjuster configured to adjust the speed of playback of the recorded course path when a course finish time in the data structure which corresponds to the recorded course path is different than a selected one of the course finish times.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a computerized competition method, comprising accumulating a plurality of competition scores from multiple competitions in a competition environment, and selecting one of the competition scores to be a threshold for further competitions, wherein passing the threshold determines an award, and wherein the selecting is based on a predefined percentage of awards.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a computerized competition system, comprising a competition environment stored in a computer, a data structure storing a plurality of past competition scores, a present competition buffer configured to store a present competition score and results of a present competition in the competition environment, a recorded competition storage configured to store results of a past competition in the competition environment, and a parameter adjuster configured to adjust at least one parameter of playback of the recorded past competition based on a function of a selected one of the competition scores.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a simulated competition method, comprising retrieving a stored competition sequence of a previous player in a competition environment, retrieving a plurality of scores of previous players, selecting one of the plurality of scores as a target score, and adjusting a playback parameter of the retrieved competition sequence as a function of the target score.